Forget your New Year’s Resolutions. You probably will break them pretty soon anyway. Here are three ideas you can implement to have a better year in sales without any resolutions to break and create a better sales strategy.
Identify your most important customers this year.
Every year your most important customers could change. Your most important customers are not always the ones with the most revenue or profit only. Your most important customers this year could be other criteria that contribute to their importance. You might consider areas like growth potential, specific opportunities, possible introductions to other prospects, or need to cement relationships at a customer as important areas for your business and a better sales strategy.
Have a real plan of action with your sales strategy.
Spend your time where it is strategic. You do not have a plan of action if you ever find yourself saying to a customer, “I decided to touch base and that’s why I’m here.” Touching base is meaningless. No customer ever thinks, “Gee, I hope Tom stops by today to touch base.” Customers might think, “I need Tom to solve a problem or help me make more money.” Customers with a problem are going to call you and ask you to come by, and not simply think about it.
Include your manager in your sales strategy.
There is nothing harder for sales success then when you have a contentious relationship with your manager. Figure out a plan to address your poor relationship if you do have a contentious relationship with your manager.
One of the first things you can do is a simple strategy. Don’t take the bait. You could respond contentiously with something you disagree. Instead, simply say OK or I need to think about it. It’s even better to say, “That’s a very interesting idea” if you think your boss is incompetent.
That last statement is a neutral statement that will not get pushed back from a difficult manager. Your objective is to create a neutral environment and de-escalate a contentious one. You will create a better sales strategy.
Best wishes for your sales success this year!
ENTERPRISE SELLING CERTIFICATION
This certification series provides the proven strategies you need when you are selling to multiple decision makers in a business-to-business environment. You want to minimize your sales cycle by knowing which prospects to focus on so you avoid wasting your time on prospects who have little probability of buying from you.
The Sales Call Part 3: Present and Reduce Objections
Your job is to present your ideas and minimize customer objections so your customer wants to buy from you. There are key elements of your presentation to know before you develop your presentation. You can use meeting logistics to your advantage to be more persuasive.
This program is designed for business professionals who are new to outside sales, those assigned to sales from other business functions, and business-to-business sales professionals who experience undesirable sales results. You learn to create and deliver more effective sales presentations when you apply the strategies in this webinar.